


War meets Death

by TalesofaLeo



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven, American Horror Story: Murder House
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - American Horror Story Fusion, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, American Horror Story: Coven - Freeform, F/M, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), really not sure what else to tag this as
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26478082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesofaLeo/pseuds/TalesofaLeo
Summary: This is an AU!AHS with Michael as the son of the Greek gods, Hades and Persephone.Emersyn follows a letter her Nana left for her after she died, which takes her to the house of the great Hades and Persephone. This is her journey of discovering the true power within herself, while falling in-love and helping shape the son of two of the most powerful Gods. Together will they make the world better or doom it?
Relationships: Cordelia Foxx | Cordelia Goode & Original Female Character(s), Fiona Goode/Original Female Character(s), Fiona Goode/Reader, Hades/Persephone, Michael Langdon/Original Character(s), Michael Langdon/Original Female Character(s), Michael Langdon/Reader
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Michael x O/C Female (Emersyn)  
> Rating - eventual NSFW (not super slow burn but wont start for a few chapters)

Emersyn had been sitting in her car for twenty minutes. No matter how many times she gave herself a pep talk she couldn’t bring herself to get out and walk into the house. Was it fear? In a way, yes. Not fear of failing or being turned away. Not fear that if this didn’t work she’d be on her own completely. No. It was fear that this would work. That her Nana was correct in her letter and that by going down this path she’d finally have answers. Having the answers and knowing who she truly was, was what she feared the most. Taking a deep sigh, she pulled her letter out of the bag and read it for what was maybe the hundredth time since she’d been given it on her birthday two months ago. 

“Follow my instructions my darling girl. Everything will work out and I promise you will gain more than answers to your past. You will get the future you were born to have. I am sorry I cannot tell you everything but rules are rules and I’ve bent them as much as I can. I love you more than anything. - Nana”

As Emersyn finished that last paragraph, she forced the butterflies to calm and pushed every doubt out of her head. “Okay Nana, here I go,” she mumbled to herself. She put the letter back in her purse before turning her car off and stepping out, slinging the purse over her shoulder.

Once outside the car she let herself look around her surroundings once again. Off to her right was a large hedge in the middle of the gravel front. It was sculpted in a scepter and cornucopia, representations of who’s home it was. The faint smell of flowers and fruit swirled around her, no doubt from the famed garden behind the house. Everyone knew the lady of the house loved agriculture and beauty, and her husband though intimidating could not say no to her. However the rest of the front, and no doubt the inside, gave little doubt of who held dark power here.

The gravel crunched under Emersyn’s flats as she made her way to the stairs leading to the massive house. House wasn’t even the correct word. More like a mansion. Everything was ebony marble, dark and sleek while also glittering. It was daunting against the bright blue sky but also the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen. At the base of the steps on either side in a grey marble was the family protector, Cerberus, sitting at attention waiting for this master. 

Breathe in, breathe out. She kept the mantra up until she was at the door. For a minute she just looked at it. It was made of solid marble with pearl for the handle and door bell. A monogrammed L was etched into the front of it. Emersyn nearly bolted back to her car but her legs felt like lead and her Nana’s voice boomed into her head. “You are braver and stronger than you know. Grasp the power in your blood and all will be right.” She’d told Emersyn that since she was a little girl anytime she was afraid and it always worked. Just as she lifted her hand to press the doorbell the door gave a click and slowly swung open.

She waited a couple seconds for someone to show themselves and speak, but nothing happened. It wasn’t proper but she felt something tugging her forward so she slowly opened the door more to walk in. Once she was completely inside the door once again moved on its own and closed itself. 

Emersyn took in some long deep breathes to calm her nerves as she looked around at her new surroundings. The inside was even more stunning then the outside. The floors and the grand staircase not far in front of her were made of the ebony marble that made the outside of the house. The walls were an off white with a few paintings and a couple mirrors put up. Above her was a huge shimmering chandelier with white lights and black jewels. She could see some black furniture pieces scattered around the room and in a couple open rooms easily visible from her spot. On some of the tables were smooth pearl vases with flowers in them, giving the house that same alluring smell as outside. Just as Emersyn had made her way to one by the door and was leaning in to take a sniff an authoritative voice stopped her.

"Who the hell are you?“

Emersyn spun around gripping her purse tighter to keep herself from screaming. A woman slightly shorter than her with dark short hair, dressed entirely in black stood by the stair case. She must have been coming from one of the back rooms when she saw Emersyn. The woman snapped her fingers to get Emersyn’s attention as she hadn’t answered the question. 

"I’m so sorry. I was going to knock or ring the bell but the door opened and I thought someone did it. But no one was there so I walked in and I know I should have called out but I got distracted by everything being so beautiful and I wanted to smell the flowers and -” She knew she was word vomiting, something that happened when she was nervous, but she couldn’t stop them until the lady cut her off.

“Wait. The door opened on its own? You didn’t do anything?” The look on her face was blank but her eyes were calculating and taking every response in. Emersyn nodded her head. 

“Correct ma'am. I was about to push the door bell and it clicked open. I waited but no one was there, so I came inside and when I was in the door closed again." 

The lady was quiet for so long staring at her, she thought maybe she didn’t hear her. Then she spoke again, "Interesting. Back to my original question, who the hell are you?" 

Emersyn gathered her thoughts. "My name is Emersyn. I’m uh, not entirely sure what I’m here for but my Nana had a letter given to me on my birthday and it said to come here. I’m suppose to see a Miriam Mead. Do you know her?”

The lady raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, “You could say that. I’m Ms. Mead. But I don’t know anything about meeting with you or anyone else.”

“I have a letter addressed to you from my Nana. She said to give it to you and that everything would make sense after that.” She rummaged through her purse and pulled the envelope out, walking towards Ms. Mead with it. 

“Look kid, you seem nice but I -” The stern look Ms. Mead had fell and she stopped talking as soon as she saw the hand writing on the envelope. She took it from Emersyn and pulled the long letter out, instantly going to the signature. Ms. Mead looked between Emersyn and the letter a couple times before she spoke again. “This is your Nana? Truly?" 

Emersyn looked at the signature shown to her and nodded her head. "Yes ma - Ms. Mead. That’s her.” The next minute was the longest of her life as Ms. Mead seemed to scan the letter and would look back at her a few times. Finally she said something. 

“Go sit down in there and wait for me. Don’t snoop. I’ll be back in a bit.” Ms. Mead pointed to a room to Emersyn’s left that seemed to be a type of sitting/visiting room with a couch, coffee table, two chairs, book cases, and a large bay window. She nodded again as she walked in and sat on the couch. Ms. Mead studied the girl for a moment, trying to get a sense of if she was trying to pull a scam but nothing raised any flags. Going back the way she’d come, she went into her office and sat down at her desk to read the letter in full. 

***********

Twenty minutes had gone by and Ms. Mead had re-read that letter three times. Few times in her life was she at a loss for words but this would be one of them. She never thought this day would come but here it was. A small chuckle left her lips as she looked at the writers last sentences. 

“This is my last act of defiance towards by daughters decision with my grand-daughter. She might have been stronger than me, but she is not stronger than fate. Enjoy the outcome for me, my dear friend.”

Oh I will. 

Ms. Mead suddenly felt lighter. As if her worries for the future were dissolving and everything was going to be the way it was meant to be. With a final scan of the letter she folded it up and put it in her desk, locking it away, then took a deep breathe as she stood to set her part of everything in motion. 

***********

Michael was bored and agitated. He’d been slumped in a chair staring at the fireplace for the past two hours. His laptop and files left open and ignored on his desk behind him. Did he have things that needed to be done ASAP? Yes. Did he have the motivation to do them? Not in the slightest. He sighed so loudly his dog, Cerberus, came over to check on him.

“I’m good boy, just ignoring my work. I’m sure I’ll get a message from father later.” He grumbled as he pet the three heads of his faithful beast. Cerberus seemed to understand as he gave a low sigh himself and laid his heads on his masters lap. They sat that way for a few minutes when a knock came on the door. Michael told them to enter and kept staring at the fire.

Ms. Mead walked towards Michael but stopped short of the chair next to him. Cerberus came a small wag and went over to greet the woman. He’d known her since she started before Michael was born and had always liked her. She patted his heads and told him to go sit down, which he did. Michael held a small smile as he watched the interaction. 

Cerberus was a perfect dog, but only to those he respected and liked. Namely only Michael’s family and Ms. Mead. Everyone else he scared nearly to death or actually tried to eat them. It was entertaining at times. Still wearing his small smile he looked Ms. Mead, seeing her looking at him. Her expression was soft, as it usually was with him, but her eyes were calculating something he couldn’t figure out.

"What is it?“ He asked, sitting up straighter and sounding a little worried. Had something happened to his parents? 

"Nothing. But I need you to come meet someone. She’s in the sitting room up front.” She spoke as clearly and un-emotional as she could. She couldn’t let her excitement out just yet. There were things that had to happen before she could celebrate. First was getting them in the room together.

Michael rolled his eyes and slummed back in chair. “Not another ‘wanna be queen’ one of the families sent over is it? I really don’t have time for it. I’m far too busy.” He waved a hand towards his desk. At this Ms. Mead raised her eyebrow.

"Firstly, no she’s not from any of them. And secondly, really? You’ve been in the same spot since I brought lunch to you and that was hours ago. Don’t start with me.“ Michael shifted in his chair and refused to make eye contact knowing his excuse wasn’t good. He just didn’t want to meet someone else that only wanted the wealth and the power that came with him, instead of wanting him. Ms. Mead called his name pulling him from his thoughts and made him look at her again.This time she was sitting in the chair next to his, leaning towards him.

"I would never force someone on you. You know I only want the best for you, for this family. I love you all like you’re my own. But I wont be here forever, and your parents need my help with things in the Underworld. You need someone you can depend on by your side for when I’m away. I think this girl would be a perfect fit to take over for me and help you.” The look in her eyes and the steadiness of her voice told Michael that he needed to trust her. So he nodded and stood up to follow her with Cerberus trailing behind. 

***********

Emersyn had skimmed the books on the book a few times and after fifteen minutes of still waiting on Ms. Mead decided to pull one off as a distraction. Blinding grabbing a big one, she settled into the window seat made into the bay window. It was cozy and had a lovely view of some of the flowers surrounding the property. She looked at the book in her lap. Inside the Gods and Demi-Gods of the world. 

She flipped it open to a random spot and just started skimming. It was pictures of all the symbols and crests of the families. Some of them she knew from her growing up and some were new to her. Just as she turned the page again her eyes stopped dead on one at the bottom of the page. A ring of fire circled two swords making an X. A tingling sensation started in her fingers, growing up her hand and arm. The longer she stared at it the stronger the sensation got and her breathing started growing shallow. Just as her eyes started to flit around the page for who that belonged she felt something cold bump her arm.

Emersyn turned away from the book to be face to face with the infamous Cerberus, just staring at her. Logically she should have screamed or jumped away but she did neither. Instead she closed the book, moving it aside and looked at the three faces taking her in. 

“Hello there,” she spoke softly, raising a hand towards the noses for it take her scent in. Slowly the heads took turns sniffing and then after taking it in, he gave a small wag and sat down in front of her. She gave a small laugh of relief and started giving the beast some pets and scratches behind the ears. 

As Emersyn smiled and gave attention to Cerberus, Michael stood in the entry way watching her while Ms. Mead watched him. He’d tried to grab Cerberus before he went to the girl, not wanting to deal with her being terrified and possibly crying but what he was watching was almost as frazzling as what he tried to stop. 

His hound, one of the most feared creatures that hated everything outside the family and Ms. Mead, was wagging its tail and totally attentive to this stranger. This girl. This girl that Michael now couldn’t stop looking at. She had hair blacker than the marble the made up his house and skin as pale as the moon. She could have been a Goddess herself, but he knew all the females in the other families and had never met her before. She didn’t look like she ran in those circles based off of her outfit either. Most of them loved to show off their skin and wealth, but her outfit was a simple white button up shirt with black skinny jeans and flats. Her hair was pulled into a low bun and she seemed to be free of much if not all make-up. Natural and bright. Something he wasn’t use to outside of his mother.

Ms. Mead nudged him forward, effectively putting him in the room with her. Clearing his throat, he gave a small whistle to call Cerberus away from the girl. Cerberus gave a small whine but conceded to his master, giving the girl a small lick before walking to lay down by Ms. Mead. Michael gave his dog a raised eye brow as he walked by but turned towards the girl when he heard a small “hello.” She was smiling at him and it was like seeing for the first time. Everything was bright and beautiful. And when their eyes met, damn he was done for. 

Emersyn looked at the stranger that called the dog away and forgot how to breathe. The most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life was standing in front of her. His outfit was fitted perfectly to his body; black shoes, pants and a long sleeve turtle neck. Wavy strawberry blonde hair framed his face, complimenting his golden skin and his eyes - oh those eyes. The brightest blue she’d ever seen; the sky and ocean didn’t even compare to them. 

Michael had never seen such green eyes. They were greener than any harvest field he’d ever seen during the spring tributes. They were calm and so easy to fall into, but there was something swirling behind them. Something he wanted a better look at. Taking a step forward to help his curiosity and to be a good host, he put his hand out introducing himself.

“Michael Langdon. Ms. Mead neglected to tell me your name, I’m afraid.” He flashed a smile, sending calming energies into the room. She kept smiling, standing up and moving forward to reach his hand. 

“That’s alright. I’m Emersyn, or Emery, either is okay.” She gave a silent thank you to the universe that her hand wasn’t sweat as she reached him. Her hand slid into his and everything stopped. Nerves. Doubts. All the thoughts that had been plaguing her since she set out on this journey. It was just her, him, and a humming that started somewhere deep within her and spread into her very blood. The tingling sensation she had earlier came back but isolated just to her hand that was holding Michael’s.

Michael was feeling something as well. His frustrations and uncertainties went away so fast, it was almost like he never had them. The most serene feeling he’d ever had washed over him, engulfing him like a warm hug. A calm set deep into his bones, then the slow simmer set in. It wasn’t uncomfortable, more like pleasurable. Every part of his body and soul was calling out, craving, this girl. The good and the bad. His hand that still held hers tightened slightly as he took a half step closer. As he moved closer his curiosity became stronger. Her eyes were still that perfect green, but then a fire flashed across them. Strong, red, and bright. He’d never seen anything like it. A breathe later and they’d settled back to normal. He wondered if he’d imagined it. 

They seemed to come to their senses at the same time as they dropped their hands and everything else came back into focus. 

“Ms. Mead tells me you’re here about taking over her position when she semi-retires in a few months.” He said, trying to regain some control back from the situation. 

Emersyn was going to say she didn’t know anything about, but then remembered part of her Nana’s letter; Go along with whatever Miriam says. She is there to help. So instead she said, “Yes. I know I’ll have a lot to learn and big shoes to fill but I catch on fast. I can do it." 

Michael smiled, "Ms. Mead is definitely a tough act to follow. I’d be totally lost without her.” He glanced over at her, as she rolled her eyes but sent him a soft smile none the less. Emersyn could feel the true bond between them and it made her a little sad. She had that with her Nana, never having quite bonded properly with her own mother and when her Nana passed she was alone. Hopefully not anymore. Michael turned back to her, making her push those thoughts away. 

“You have Ms. Mead’s backing and apparently Cerberus would like you around as well,” Michael nodded to the dog that had moved by her again wagging his tail and looking expectantly for attention. Emersyn gave a small laugh before he continued, “All I can say is welcome to the Langdon family. We take care of our own and by working for us, you are one of us. I’ll let you and Ms. Mead go over the details and look forward to seeing you in action." 

Emersyn gave him a 100 watt smile, he found he loved bringing out. "Thank you sir. I won’t let you or your family down." 

"Michael, please. And I believe you.” He smiled back. 

“Thank you, Michael.” Her eyes held his and once again they flashed that fire. The craving came back full force in him, causing him to take a step back. If he stayed too close he was afraid he might actually act upon these feelings and scare the poor girl. With a parting nod he bid her and Ms. Mead good-bye, whistling for Cerberus to follow. 

The dog gave Emersyn a look, begging for a final pet which she could not deny him. After she’d paid each head some attention, he gave her another lick on the hand and followed after his master. She looked at Ms. Mead wondering what the next step would be. 

“Come along girl. Let’s get you set up.” Ms. Mead motioned for her to follow and started up the staircase. Emersyn followed behind, each step easier than the last. For the first time in her life she felt she was where she belonged.


	2. Chapter 2

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Emersyn rolled over and looked at the clock on her night stand. 7:00 A.M. With a groan she hit the snooze button and curled deeper into the bed. 

It was Thursday morning, just a few days after she’d been accepted as part of the Langdon staff and given a room in their mansion. Each morning she got up around 7 o’clock, got ready and met Ms. Mead down in the kitchen no later than 8 o’clock. 

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

7:15 A.M. A louder groan rippled through the room. Emersyn shut the alarm off and sat up in the bed. The sun was starting to peak through the curtains in her room illuminating parts of the room the dying fireplace could not. 

Forcing herself out of the warm cocoon she’d made, she shuffled her feet across the room to the joining bathroom. As the sink water warmed up Emersyn looked at herself. 

Well that’s attractive, she thought dryly. Half glazed over eyes and tangled bed head stared back at her. Even with that she felt good. Lighter. The only way she could describe it was like getting to breathe after being denied air for so long. Deciding she needed to shake a leg, she brushed her teeth, smoothed her hair some and started the shower. 

She still couldn’t get over how big and fancy her room and bathroom was. Same walls and floors as the rest of the house with black furniture laid out. Her bathroom was sleek and beautiful, with an extra large tub and separate large shower with a rainfall shower-head. Emersyn could stay under the hot water forever but knew Ms. Mead would have her hide if she was more than a couple minutes late, so she forced herself to leave the warmth yet again.

Wrapping her body and hair in a towel she left the homemade sauna and went back to her bedroom. Turning on her bedside lamp, she glanced at the clock. 

7:40 A.M. Shit.

She quickly stepped into her walk-in closet and started grabbing things to wear. Most of the closet was empty as she had only brought about half of her clothes. She’d left in the dead of night from her mother’s house so she had to limit what she could carry in one trip without making a lot of noise. A few bags of clothes and some precious momentous she couldn’t bare to leave behind was all that left with her. 

The season’s had started to change so to fend off the chill rising in the air she put on some skinny jeans, a loose grey and black sweater, and combat boots. Rushing back into the bathroom, she quickly applied some concealer under her eyes to try and hide her lack of sleep. Knowing she was running out of time she yanked the towel off her head, brushed the tangles out and threw it up into a messy bun. 

That’ll have to work, not like I’m trying to impress anyone. She thought when a picture of Michael flashed into her mind causing a blush. Stop it. That’s not why you’re here. 

Pushing his image from her mind she tossed the wet towel in the hamper and sprinted out of the room. Moving as fast as she could without actually running she went down the hall and staircase, to the back of the house where the kitchen was. Emersyn had just sat down and started nibbling on the left over breakfast when Ms. Mead entered the room. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced at her watch then back at Emersyn. 

“8:05, cutting it close. Between you and Michael waiting until the last minute I’ll be sent to an early grave.” She grumbled as she started cleaning up. 

Emersyn cleared her throat, “Well I can’t speak for Michael but I’m working on being more on time. I’m not a morning person.”

“At least one of you is working,” Ms. Mead responded. 

“What do you mean?” Emersyn got up to help clean-up. Ms. Mead nodded in thanks, sighing slightly loud. 

“Have you started any of the books I gave you?” 

“I started the one about the three main families and all the sub-families. I’m halfway through Zeus, he’s got a lot of…connections.” Emersyn decided that sounded better than bastards. 

“Alright, well this is how the Langdon’s, meaning Hades, runs their family. Most people have a particular God or Goddess they worship, but whether or not they worship Hades they have to figure out what awaits them in the Underworld. That’s where our business side comes in. For the right price one can ensure a cushy place, regardless of bad actions done when they were living.” 

Emersyn thought on that for a minute. “So basically they buy to have their “sins” forgotten?” 

Ms. Mead shrugged, “In a way. The ones that use it for that the most are the elite of Zeus’ followers. Debauchery and little to no morals runs in the group like an STD. Some people use it to ensure their whole family will be together in a happy place, sort of an eternal reunion. Then there’s the one’s that pay so that a loved one can get a “pass” to visit the living so to speak. Maybe for a business deal or family event, we don’t care really. Makes sense?” She watched Emersyn as she digested it. After a couple minutes of silence Emersyn turned towards her. 

“It does. Some of those I can understand and even see it as a good service. But not everyone should be able to throw money or whatever into the pot and get the same treatment as people that legitimately work to keep a good soul their whole lives. It’s a business and feelings shouldn’t be a huge running factor, but that doesn’t feel right to me.” Ms. Mead gave her a half smile. 

“You and Michael both it would seem.” Emersyn gave her a puzzled look, so she elaborated. “One of the duties of being the King of the Underworld is to keep the business, meaning payments, flowing and balancing the relationships within the families. If a family feels their worshipers are being snubbed then they feel snubbed. It’s a constant balance of politics with them. And when you have worshipers that don’t pay that becomes a delicate issue to address.” Ms. Mead motioned for Emersyn to sit back at the table with her. 

“Michael has to learn the balancing act.” Emersyn knew she’d guessed right when Ms. Mead nodded her head. “Can’t his father help him?” 

“This is his way of helping him, by making him figure out for himself. He has to have a proposition ready by tomorrow morning and he’s no where near done. He’s too worried about screwing up that he can’t pick a path and follow it.” 

They sat in silence for a couple minutes until Emersyn found herself speaking before she could stop herself. 

“Could I help him? I mean maybe come up with a few suggestions or a pro/con list. A fresh pair of eyes might see something he’s overlooked.” She felt her cheeks grow red from the scrutinizing look Ms. Mead was giving her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think before I spoke. I’m still learning and even if I wasn’t it’s not my place to-”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Ms. Mead cut off her rambling. “Go to my office and I’ll meet you there with the spare files.” Emersyn sprang up and flew out of the kitchen doing as she was told. 

Ms. Mead chuckled at the girls enthusiasm as she left the room at a slower pace.

***********

Hours went by before Emersyn decided she was done with her evaluation of the files. She grabbed everything up and went in search of Ms. Mead. She found the older woman in the kitchen once again. 

“Are you done?” Ms. Mead asked, not turning away from the oven to look at her. Emersyn nodded anyway.

“I think so. Wanna look at it?” 

“No. Go talk to Michael about it and I’ll finish making lunch.” When she didn’t get a response, Ms. Mead turned around and saw Emersyn staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. 

“What? Why can’t you talk to him?” She gripped the edge of the table to try and calm the sudden burst of nerves. 

“For one, I’m cooking lunch for all of us. And most importantly, if you’re going to take over my position you have to become comfortable talking to Michael about all of this. He’s stubborn so the more practice figuring out how to do that, the better. Go on.” Ms. Mead’s voice left no room for argument and Emersyn didn’t bother trying to come up with one. 

Taking a deep breath in she gathered her thoughts and papers and walked out. Sooner than she wanted, she stood in front of door to Michael’s office. Emersyn bounced on her heels a couple times trying to calm her nerves. She thought about just turning around and coming back later but knew Ms. Mead would raise hell if she did. Before she could talk herself out of it Emersyn knocked on the door and waited. A moment passed then she heard a low “come in” from the other side. 

Emersyn quietly slipped into the room, closing the door behind her and let herself take the room in. The walls were darker than the rest of the house, everything was black and gleaming in the light making it slightly intimidating to be in there. Probably the point, she thought. The fireplace was going with a coffee table and two chairs in front of it. Michael sat at the desk on the other side of the room, curtains open behind him to show the balcony over looking the grounds. Cerberus got up from his spot next to Michaels desk, walking over towards her with his tail wagging. 

For being one of the most feared creatures in the world, he sure was nice to her. Emersyn couldn’t stop the smile on her face at his greeting and bent down to reach him better. 

“Hey, who’s a good boy?” She spoke lowly, still trying to stay unnoticed. Cerberus gave her a lick in return and kept wagging his tail.

At her low murmur Michael looked up from his laptop. He’d thought it was Ms. Mead with lunch, but did a double take at seeing Emersyn crouched down petting Cerberus. The way the Underworld protector took to her still surprised him. Michael was certain it was connected to the fire he’d sometimes see in her eyes and the simmering feeling he’d had the first time they’d touched. He was determined to figure out what it all meant when he got some free time. 

“He’s usually not that much of a good boy,” Michael spoke startling Emersyn to look up and make eye contact with him. 

Cerberus was not pleased at having his pet session disrupted and gave Michael a side-eye. As the dog went to lay down by the fireplace Emersyn laughed. 

“I think you offended him.” She smiled, standing up. 

Michael gave a small laugh. “He’ll get over it. I’ll give him a treat later.”

“Ah, bribery. Works wonders.”

“You have no idea,” Michael made eye contact with her again and they just stared smiling at each other for a moment. Once he realized what they were doing he cleared his throat and stood up, motioning to a chair in front of his desk. “My apologies at not greeting you. I thought it was Ms. Mead.” 

Emersyn nodded in thanks as she took a seat. “It’s okay. She should be up here in a bit with lunch. She, uh, actually sent me here to talk to you.” 

“Is everything okay? Do you need something for your room?” Michael gave her a slightly worried look as he sat back down. 

“Oh, no! Everything is perfect, thank you. I love it. It’s, uhm, actually about…well…these.” She hesitantly sat the files on the desk, pushing them towards him. 

He grabbed them, scanning quickly. His curiosity gave way to confusion as he realized these were copies of the files he’d been working on for weeks. Trying to keep his voice neutral he spoke, “How’d you get these?”

“Ms. Mead gave them to me.” The look Michael gave her made her hurry along her explanation. “She was teaching me about the business of being Hades and your family so I could understand it better. And then she mentioned you’d been struggling a little with some things and I asked if I could help, so she gave me these and then told me to talk to you.” Emersyn started to feel warm from the heated gaze he was giving her, as if he was picking apart every part of her soul. 

Finally he sat the files back down, leaned forward slightly and cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. “And what do you need to talk to me about, concerning these files and my family?” 

Gulping down her anxiety she dove straight in. “Well I understand that each account has to be handled tactfully because of who they’re connected to, however that can be used to your advantage. Now these two families, they’re only a couple weeks behind and not high in status. And this other family is lower than them and roughly a month behind. They’re connected to your uncle, Poseidon, and just seem like decent people. Their accounts are so they can have certain family members visit for whatever occasions. Now I’d say charge them a fee, like three percent of their late balance and give them a hard deadline with a payment plan or something. They don’t need to be cut off because if you look at their records they pay 95% on time so it’s probably some type of work or economy issue for the lateness.” Emersyn paused in her presentation, hand hovering over the files she’d opened and laid out in front of him. Michael’s eyes flitted over them, taking in her words and then looked up at her silently telling her to continue. 

Getting a small confidence boost from not being told off yet, she grabbed the other two files. “So then we only have these two. They’re connected to your other uncle, Zeus, and in the super rich category. The families are actually cousins so it kinda makes sense that they’re pulling the same crap. They’re several months behind on all accounts. They pay for the cushiest spots in the Underworld and visitation services with old family members. I’m assuming it’s for company deals because they still have things signed by members of the board that have been dead for several years. I say cut them off, completely. Put their accounts totally on hold and don’t allow any lee-way. Tell them they have to pay all their past debts, plus a high late fee, otherwise all previous wrong doings in their lives will be accounted for when they cross over. They have a huge merger deal coming up in a couple weeks and by not having the rest of their board members there to sign off on it, it would cost them billions. That should motivate them to pay up the few hundred thousand they owe. By making an example out of them you should be showing that no matter the status or connections, everyone needs to keep their agreements in this life or it’ll effect their afterlife.” After finishing her speech, Emersyn sat back in her chair and waiting for Michael to say anything.

Silence stretched between them. Emersyn had to focus hard on not fidgeting too much as Michael kept glancing over the files. Finally he gave a loud sigh, sitting back in his seat. 

“You’ve definitely put a lot of thought into this. I’m impressed, honestly, and even agree with some of it. But why should I come down so hard on these two and let the other three slide?” He crossed his leg, propping his arm on the armrest with his head in his palm. 

“You aren’t letting them slide. You’re just taking into account their good payment history and the fact they’ve never given you problems before. You’d still get paid, but you don’t need to go to such an extreme length to get it. I’m sure your uncle would appreciate the thoughtfulness.” 

“And my other uncle? I don’t think he’d appreciate the heavy handed approach much. And that thoughtfulness would be perceived as weakness.” 

Emersyn sat up a little straighter and had to tone down her voice some. “No disrespect to Zeus, but the people that follow him are use to always getting their way. Of never having any consequences for their actions. By being “heavy handed” you send the message that even the most elite can’t wave a hand and get whatever they want. Honestly that might be a good message to send to your Uncle as well. That the future King of the Underworld wont be pushed around by status and wealth. And showing some compassion and understanding is not weakness. Weak people who can’t form true connections to others use that as an excuse to be mean and unjust.”

On the outside Michael kept his expression blank, while on the inside he was all over the place. He was agitated at how simple this all seemed to her, not because she was wrong. Oh no, she knew the game quite well for having never played it. Michael was agitated because she came to this conclusion as if it was the easiest thing in the world and didn’t consider any other outcome. It was so black and white to her and he envied that. He’d come to that option days ago, but knew that there were repercussions to going along with that. This would be one of his first decisions on the way to becoming the new King and he had to play it cool, not go in blazing on two elite families connected to his uncle. 

Along with agitation, Michael was also feeling admiration. He could feel her nervousness when she’d started talking but the longer she went on, the more confident she’d become in her plan. She stood firm when he’d questioned her and didn’t show any weakness at his scrutinizing gaze. It honestly reminded him of the few times he’d seen his mother and father have a sort of stand off on this issues when he was younger. With a small sigh, Michael brought himself back to the present. 

“I thank you for your time and dedication to helping with these issues, but I’ll have to look deeper into these and find a more tactful approach. You’re still new and I’m sure with time you’ll get a better handle on the politics of it all.” Michael have a tight lipped smiled and turned towards his laptop, signalling to Emersyn it was time for her to leave. 

She gave a small nod and got up, making it half way to the door before she stopped and turned back towards him. Emersyn didn’t know what came over her, but she felt a huge surge of confidence and that tingling feeling that made her speak her thoughts without thinking first. 

“Excuse me, sir, but I think you’re wrong. You know my approach is the best one to ensure the higher classes don’t jerk you around later down the line and so the lower classes don’t look at you as a greedy monster.” 

Michael gave her a hard look. “I appreciate your input, but I think I can figure out the best decision for myself and my family’s image. I have been in this world longer than you and there’s always more than one way to handle something.”

“Then why has it taken you weeks to come up with one and it only took me a few hours?” If Emersyn didn’t have whatever these feelings were coursing through her, she knew she’d have ran out of that room once those words left her mouth. However she stood her ground as he got up from his chair and walked around to lean on the front of it and stare at her. 

“Maybe because I know there’s more things to consider than just setting examples. This is my family’s image we are talking about. Something you are not a part of.” Michael bite out, being harsher than he meant to be but also trying to retain some of his bruised ego. 

“That’s bullshit. You’re not worried about your family’s image. That’s been cemented for centuries. You’re worried about your image. You’re scared that you’ll be seen as weak and will be biting off more than you can chew You’re scared of failing.” Emersyn crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Michael mirrored her, before pushing off the desk and stepping closer. 

“I’d suggest being careful what you say. You’re in my house and in my house it’s my rules.” Michael saw the fire spark in her eyes. As the flames grew, the room also grew warmer. He realized the heat was coming off of her when she stepped closer to him. 

“I wont be intimated by a bratty prince throwing a tantrum. You know I’m right. You’ve come to the same conclusion but are too scared of what your father and everyone else will think. You wont be a true King until you realize that following your heart and doing the right things are what makes a King worth following. Until then you’ll just be a boy playing dress up.” 

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Emersyn felt like someone was in control of her body, but also that she was actually free of whatever usually held her back in confrontational situations and loved it. Michael was pissed. Pissed because how dare someone that didn’t know him speak to him that way. But also how dare she hit the target dead center. He was scared of disappointing his father and not being able to handle the pressure of being King. And he was slightly scared that this girl could see through his facade so easily. Instead of admitting she was right, he held onto the anger. It was easier for him. 

Moving right into her space, Michael stared her down. “I wont be spoken down to by someone who’s only good enough to be the help. Learn your place and leave. Right. Now.” His voice was lowly and dangerous. A few pieces in the room started to shake from the energy radiating off of him. The room became more heated as the fire raged on in Emersyn’s eyes. The other thing Michael would never admit was how badly he wanted to ravish her in that moment. Worship her and rule her all at once. 

Cerberus stood up and started growling, looking at both of them. A warning that someone needed to back down and step away. The noise reigned Emersyn in slightly, as the flames and heat lowered some. She gave Michael one final hard glare and spun around, slamming the door after her. Michael closed his eyes and focused on his breathing to calm down. Slowly lowering the energy levels of the room back to normal, he noticed how she seemed to have taken all the warmth from the room with her when she left. 

Michael turned the fireplace up a notch, trying to get the chill out of the air and then sat back at his desk. Feeling eyes on him he glanced over at Cerberus. The dog, wise beyond Michael’s few years, gave him a look that could have passed for disappointment at how that situation was handled. Michael ignored the look and turned back to his laptop. He deleted the proposition he had started and sat staring at the blank page until another knock broke the silence once again. 

“Come in.” He half hoped it was Emersyn so he could apologize but also not, because he wasn’t ready to admit he handled that badly. Instead it was Ms. Mead and from her look he knew he was in deep. 

However instead of saying anything, she sat the tray of food on his desk and just looked at him. Michael shifted in his seat a couple times, trying to ignore the woman’s heavy gaze. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“You going to yell at me too or what?”

Ms. Mead shook her head. “No. I think whatever she said was enough, probably more than was needed.” 

Michael scoffed, “So you’re siding with her?” He crossed his arms and looked at her. He knew he looked like a toddler pouting, but he didn’t care. Ms. Mead had known him his whole life and had seem many tantrums. 

“I’m not siding with anyone. From the energy I felt I think you both crossed some lines, but that had to happen at some point. You will have to learn to rely on her like you rely on me, and I’ve never sugar coated things for you Michael. She has a good eye for these and seems to have the same idea’s as you on how to run it. Trust her and trust your gut. Even your father wasn’t always as intimidating and deadly as he could be.”

“That’s because mother nearly skinned him to make him do something different.” Michael rolled his eyes. 

“The right woman can bring out a better side from the darkest of places. But only if the man is willing to listen.” Ms. Mead left after a final hard stare. 

Well what the fuck? Michael resumed staring at his blank screen, replying everything that’d happened in the last hour. After deciding what he wanted to do, he started typing the proposition once again. 

Time to sink or swim…


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of sexual tension in this one. More in the next ;)

Emersyn had been pacing in her room for half an hour when a knock came at her door. She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to answer or not. Her decision was made for her when the door opened and Ms. Mead walked in. Ms. Mead’s face was stern as she stood inside the room, waiting for Emersyn to speak.

They had a mini staring contest for a couple minutes until Emersyn broke. Giving a loud sigh, she fell backwards onto her bed.

“Am I fired or something?”

Ms. Mead chuckled, “If the Langdon men fired every woman that yelled at them or pointed out their flaws they’d never have anyone work for them. Not to mention they’d never get married.”

“Bless Persephone for her patience.” Emersyn mumbled.

“Oh don’t worry about her. She gives just as good as she gets and even her husband has had to talk her out of drastic decisions for their business. You have to have a thick skin and open mind when being part of this family.”

“But I’m not part of this family. I’m the “hired help” as I was reminded today.”

Ms. Mead sat on the end of the bed, facing Emersyn. “Not everything is permanent and not all words said in anger are true.”

“What do you mean?” Emersyn was sitting up now, staring at the woman.

“You bruised his ego, honey. And you saw through his facade. He was hurt and worried that he couldn’t hide a part of himself, which made him lash out. I’m not saying what he said was correct. But I am saying that you poked a beast and expected it to just take it and that didn’t happen.”

Emersyn played with some of her blanket, not wanting to make eye contact with the woman because she knew she was right. She was angry at what Michael said to her, but she was angry at herself for acting that way.

“I don’t know what came over me. It was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly I was saying everything I was thinking. It wasn’t right but it felt…good I guess. To just speak freely as if there wouldn’t be any consequences.”

Ms. Mead was quiet for a moment. “Did you feel anything else?”

Emersyn looked up at her then, trying to gauge what the woman might know. All she got was a blank face with calculating eyes. How did she know? “I felt…a tingle. Like when your foot falls asleep and starts waking up but all over. Inside me, in my blood almost. And I felt…warm. As if I was absorbing all the warmth in the room.” The older woman just kept staring at her.

“Have you felt these things before?”

Emersyn looked away as she tried thinking back. “I vaguely remember a couple times feeling that when I was younger but then something happened…I can’t remember what and they stopped. I didn’t have them for years. Then last year when Nana died I had an episode of that and my mother gave me something to drink to soothe me to sleep. When I woke up it was over. I felt something when I first came here too. When…” Emersyn trailed off, blushing. She forget it was when she’d first touched Michael.

“When what?” Ms. Mead sat up a little straighter, leaning towards the girl slightly.

Emersyn cleared her throat, blushing harder. “When, uh, when I shook Michael’s hand. I felt the tingle but it was only in that hand.” She glanced at the woman, once again trying to find some sort of answer. “Does it mean anything? Do you know what the tingling is?”

“If I had to guess I’d say it’s your true nature, or power, breaking free. You’re coming into your own and it’ll be scary at times and overwhelming, but don’t fight it. Embrace it.” 

Emersyn was more confused than ever. “Breaking free of what? And what “true power”? I’m barely average on the magical scale and considering who my mother is that’s embarrassing.” 

Ms. Mead reached over and placed a hand on Emersyn’s arm, “I can’t tell you everything. You have to find these answers on your own. But secrets don’t stay buried forever and when the time is right they will start to reveal themselves. Pay attention to the signs and follow your gut.” The woman gave her arm a final pat and started moving to the door. 

“Did you and my Nana take some class on how to answer in riddles?” Emersyn frowned at the woman, causing her to chuckle. 

“Years of practice and wisdom, dear. You’ll get there one day.” Ms. Mead walked out, leaving with a click of the door. 

Emersyn sat on her bed looking into the fire, while thinking over everything the woman said. Maybe I should go back home and talk to mom, she thought. No! She gave a hard shake of her head, pushing that idea away. Deep down she knew that whatever was going on her mother knew exactly what it was and would never tell her without hard proof. 

I’ll go back when I’m mentally prepared to deal with that drama.

***********

Emersyn spent the rest of the day helping Ms. Mead organize accounts and learning what to do with certain files. They both knew she was stalling talking to Michael but neither said anything of it. It would happen sooner or later, and Emersyn was praying for later. 

It was after dinner time when she found herself pacing in her bedroom again. She didn’t want to approach him, but she was also growing tired of waiting for him to talk to her first. Deciding she’d stop the childish behavior she headed down to his office. When she reached the door, she didn’t give herself time to rethink the decision and gave three knocks. Silence. Three more knocks. Still nothing. 

She gave one more knock as she pushed the door open to find it totally empty. The fireplace was off and from the temperature of the room it’d been off for a while. Emersyn groaned softly and closed the door again. He must be in bed. Shit. 

On the way back to her room, she noticed light coming from the kitchen. As she turned into the room she noticed a light on over the oven giving the room a soft glow. Before she could start trying to remember if she’d left that on after dinner, a voice startled her. 

“I thought you’d be asleep.” Michael sat at the table, a few tubs open in front of him. Cerberus was fast asleep by his feet. 

“I saw the light on and wanted to see if I’d left it on. Did you not eat dinner?” She decided to give him half the truth as she sat down across from him. She wanted to probe his attitude in case now was not the time to talk about the earlier events.

“I actually stepped out for a few hours, I had a few things to get. I told Ms. Mead I’d eat whenever I got back.” Michael shrugged and stared at her. They studied each other, trying to plan the next move. “I sent my proposal in.” 

Emersyn had to rein her interest in and stop herself from fidgeting. “I thought you had till tomorrow morning to do that.” Michael shrugged, tapping his fork against a tub. 

“Well it sorta got thrown in my face with a bit of yelling. Hard to ignore that.” His tone was neutral but his smirk and the look in his eyes showed amusement. He wasn’t pissed anymore. Emersyn nearly fainted from relief. 

“Sometimes the right things have to do that to be noticed.” She gave a small smile back. 

“Trust me, I noticed.” He looked like he was staring into her soul again. This time she couldn’t stop herself from fidgeting and got up to stand by the sink. She started to wash the remaining dishes as something to do. His eyes were still on her and she hoped it didn’t show how much that got to her. 

After a couple minutes of stretched out silence, she heard him starting to pack the tubs back up. She became so focused on trying to figure out where he was in the room, that she didn’t pay attention to what she grabbed. 

“Ah, shit!” She clutched her left had that had grabbed the wrong end of a knife and got cut when it slid down her palm. Michael rushed over and grabbed for the injured hand. 

“Let me see.” He told her sternly, pushing her other hand and fingers out of the way. Cerberus had jumped up as well at her yell and was trying to wedge himself between them to see what happened. Michael nudged him back with his knee, stepping closer. 

Emersyn hissed as she let him look at the wound. He turned the water to hot and after it warmed up some he placed it under the stream. She bit her lip to keep from yelling out again, nearly breaking the skin there. 

“I’m sorry,” He said, glancing at her pained expression. After the blood was rinsed away and he could get a better look at it, he saw it wasn’t too deep just long and at a bad angle. “This might burn a little, but it wont last long.” 

Before she could ask him what he meant, he placed both hands around her injured one still under the water and closed his eyes. Emersyn could feel the energy coming off of him and then her hand started to prickle. It felt like a bunch of needs poking and tugging her skin, then a slow burning. It made her wanna itch her palm, but she forced herself to keep her hand where it was. Just as it was starting to get unbearable he opened his eyes and it stopped. 

Michael turned the water off and grabbed a towel that was close, drying their hands. Normally Emersyn would have taken her hand back and done that herself but she was too busy staring at her newly healed hand. And, not that she’d admit it, she liked the feel of his skin touching hers. It felt cool and calming; a soothing balm. After they were dried, Michael inspected her hand to make sure it was healed properly. 

“How does it feel?” He asked, gently massaging the newly healed skin. 

“A little warm but it’s good. Thank you.” She said, watching him continue his movements as he nodded. “Also, I’m sorry. For earlier today. I crossed a line and I shouldn’t have.” 

Michael shrugged, shifting back to his full height to look down at her. His fingers not stopping. “We both crossed some lines, which I think evens the whole ordeal out. But I’m sorry as well.” Emersyn smiled at him and nodded her head in acceptance, causing some hair to fall in front of her face. 

Before he could stop himself, Michael reached up and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers traced her ear, down the side of her neck, and stopped on her shoulder. His thumb rubbed back and forth on the bit of skin that was revealed from her t-shirt. That simmering feeling was back and quickly taking over his actions. He had to touch her, feel her skin on his. 

Emersyn thought she was going to com-bust. The tingling sensation was flowing from over spot he touched and was seeping into her core. The rational part of her kept saying to step away and go to bed. But the sensation was too good to ignore, and the look he was giving her..oh boy. He looked like he wanted to devour her and she was about ready to lay down and let him. 

They’d shifted closer, nearly eliminating all space between them as their heads moved closer. The kept eye contact as their foreheads rested against each other, their slow breathes mingling. Their hands by the sink laced together, as his hand on her shoulder ran down her side and stopped at her hip. He slowly slipped a few fingers under her shirt to touch her hidden skin. Her hand went to his cheek, feeling the smooth skin before moving around to lay on the back of his neck and play with the ends of his hair. 

“Do you want to stop?” Michael whispered, lightly running his nose against her as he glanced at her lips. 

Just as Emersyn opened her mouth to respond, the kitchen was flooded with bright light. The two adults jumped away, losing contact everywhere except their still connected hands. Standing in the doorway was Ms. Mead in a sleeping robe and Cerberus standing next to her. She blinked at the sight.

“I’ll just go back to bed and leave you -” She started taking a step backwards when Emersyn interrupted. 

“Oh no! It’s fine! I cut my hand and Michael was kind enough to heal it.” She knew her face was blood red but tried to keep her voice as steady as possible. Realizing their hands were still connected she gently pulled away and flashed the hand to Ms. Mead, as if that was proof that something wasn’t about to happen. Which it totally was. 

The older woman looked over to Michael, who looked agitated and slightly embarrassed, but nodded in agreement with Emersyn’s story. Ms. Mead wasn’t stupid and knew exactly what she saw, not to mention the tension swirling between them in the room but decided to play along. 

“Cerberus woke me up and brought me down here, I think he was worried.” She almost laughed at the small glare Michael sent the dog. 

“How sweet of him.” Michael’s voice was rough and showed his annoyance at the disruption. 

“Well on that note, I think it’s time for bed. I’ll see you all in the morning. Goodnight.” Emersyn glanced over at Michael as she started to move out the room. Stopping to give Cerberus a few pets and tell him she was okay, she avoided looking at Ms. Mead. The others mumbled a goodnight as she went out the door, and once out of the room she broke into a sprint straight to her bedroom. 

Ms. Mead watched Michael shuffle around the room, cleaning up his dinner a little more aggressively than needed. “Did you get what you needed?” 

Michael froze, before realizing she meant his trip into town. “Yeah, it’s all in your office.” 

“Okay. Glad the apologies went over so smoothly.” She smirked at him as his face got red. “Goodnight.” She turned and left him alone with his thoughts. 

Michael finished putting everything away and rinsing the last bit of blood out of the sink before turning the lights off and heading towards his room. Cerberus followed, uncaring of Michael’s agitation towards him. 

Time for a cold shower…

***********

The next morning, Emersyn woke up super late. She’d taken a long, cold shower before bed that had done little to cool off the feelings Michael had left her with. All night she’d tossed and turned, waking from dreams of his hands and mouth on her. When she was finally able to get some sleep, she fell so deep into it that she didn’t hear her alarm until it nearly time for her to be downstairs. Grabbing whatever looked warm, she quickly got dressed and brushed her teeth before booking it out of the room. As she hopped down the stairs she ran her fingers through her hair to take some of the crazy tangles out. 

As she started to turn towards the kitchen, voices coming from the opposite way caught her attention. It was Ms. Mead and Michael. They weren’t arguing, but they were speaking loud enough to peak Emersyn’s interest so she crept close to hear better. The door was left open, so she didn’t feel quite as bad about eavesdropping. If it was private they would have closed the door, she rationalized. 

“I don’t understand what you’re whining about. Your father approved and even praised your proposal. This is a good thing!” Ms. Mead sounded exasperated, as if she was repeating herself. 

“I’m not whining.” Michael mumbled, which sounded more like a pout. Emersyn put a hand over her mouth to stop a laugh from escaping. “I know it’s a good thing. What I don’t understand is why I’m now in charge of throwing that stupid Halloween ball in two weeks.” 

“Because you proved you could make decisions concerning the money side of the business. The parties the families throw make a statement as to who they are and help keep the social connections intact. And after your proposal is carried out you will need to do a lot of socializing. Everyone has to get use to you calling the shots and that starts by seeing your face and talking to you.” 

“I understand that. But I don’t need to be involved in the trivial details of decoration and music and food. It’s stupid and I hate dealing with those money hungry planners.” 

Emersyn peaked in when they were silent for a moment. Michael was sitting in a chair in front of the fire, legs crossed, propping his head up on his hand. Ms. Mead stood off to the side looking at him with her arms crossed. After another beat of silence then Michael sat up straighter. 

“Have Emersyn take care of the details.” He looked at Ms. Mead, and when she raised her eyebrow he continued. “She has an eye for detail, as shown when she looked at those accounts. She can deal with all of that and I’ll handle the actual contact with the guests on that day.” Emersyn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“And you think your parents will be okay with that?” Michael shrugged. 

“They don’t need to know till after. And as long as it looks presentable they wont even notice when they’re talking to everyone. It’ll be fine.” He seemed far too pleased with this idea and it made Emersyn worried. 

She walked into the room, wanting to cut this off before it got too out of hand. 

“Woah woah woah! Time out!” She walked up to them putting her hands up in the letter T. They both looked surprised at seeing her. “Does Emersyn get a say in planning some big shing-ding that represents the whole damn family?”

“You would have…maybe.” Michael had the grace to look sheepish, before trying to turn the tables. “Were you eavesdropping on us?”

Emersyn waved his question off, “The door was open and I heard my name. Don’t change the subject, Michael. I am not planning some huge party for you.” 

“Oh come on. Girls like planning parties!” Michael rolled his eyes so hard, she thought he’d snap his head back.

“Then grab one of them!” She snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Okay, calm down children,” Ms. Mead motioned for them to look at her. “How about a compromise? I will take care of the food, Emersyn can do decorations/design and music, and Michael can take care of the guest list and the final okay on all decisions. No more arguing.” The two young adults had a small glare off before huffing and saying ‘fine’ together. Ms. Mead ushered Emersyn out before any more bickering could start. 

“You’ll both be the death of me. Or my liver. I’m not sure yet.” She mumbled once they were in her office and she poured a small glass of alcohol, downing it in one go. 

“Why do I have to do this? I don’t know how to plan a stupid big to-do!” Emersyn flung herself into a nearby chair. Ms. Mead wondering if she knew how much she looked like Michael in that moment. 

“It’ll be easy, just pick some pretty things and make it all look good. Think of the most glorious party you’d ever want to throw and make it happen. Also you need to find time to get a dress as well.” Ms. Mead thought Emersyn’s eyes were going to pop out of her head with how big they got.

“What?!”

“As part of the Langdon household, worker or not, you’re expected to show up. Especially if you help put the event together. This one is a big deal because it’ll be the last that Michael’s parents will be attending as the rulers of the Underworld. Think of this as their semi going-away party and Michael’s official introduction as the new ruler.” 

“You guys can’t put this pressure on me! I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll screw something up!” Emersyn started to feel a panic attack coming on. 

“Calm the fuck down. Look, you aren’t the first one to ever get thrown into this thing without warning. Persephone did it, I’ve had to do it. You can do it. It’s a party, it’s not like going to war.” Ms. Mead sternly looked at her. Emersyn took some deep breathes in, pushing down all her nerves. When she nodded that she was okay, Ms. Mead continued. “Okay, now go grab all the party planners and caterers files and bring them over. We have two weeks to get things situated. Also, that bag on the table is yours.” 

Emersyn gave her a curious look, before moving to the table to look into the bag. Inside was the newest iPhone and a new laptop. “What is this?”

“You have to be able to get in contact with people and we have to be able to contact you as well. All the numbers and any emails you might need has been uploaded already. Michael got them for you yesterday.”

Emersyn looked back at them for a moment thinking. “He owes me a big screen t.v. for this party ordeal.” She heard Ms. Mead laugh as she turned back towards the cabinets to grab the files. 

Or maybe finish what we started in the kitchen…


End file.
